


Imagine Us

by evillittlethings



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-08 13:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1942209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evillittlethings/pseuds/evillittlethings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newly-married Emma Swan (there was no way she was changing her last name to Gold of all things) strikes up a friendship with her florist Regina. Before she knows it she's questioning her sexuality as she finds herself falling in love with the woman. [SQ Imagine Me & You AU. Not sure if this has been done yet but the bunny just would NOT leave me alone].</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! I'm not sure if this has been done before but this stupid bunny would not leave me alone. When I saw someone make a reference to this movie on another fic I just could not do it anymore and so I wrote it down (or rather I am writing it down). 
> 
> This is going to be an Imagine Me and You AU with our beloved OUAT characters taking the stage. Since it's based on the movie there will be lines that you will recognise as I've taken them directly from the screen (especially now in the beginning while I'm still finding my stride). However I've still tried to keep the characters as true to themselves as possible. Hopefully that's all sweet with you guys though :) Also, there will of course be no curse, no magic, no fairytale bs, etc.
> 
> Btw, if you haven't seen this movie then you most definitely should.

Emma lay in bed wide-awake and purposefully not looking at her alarm clock. She had spent the vast majority of the night tossing and turning, nerves eating at her stomach and at three AM, after having spent roughly five hours watching the numbers turn in slow motion, she had finally gotten fed up with herself and turned the alarm to face the wall. From that moment on, she fought both the butterflies and her desire to know the hours, minutes, and seconds left until she was to start the day. Her day. At some point she had fallen into a fitful sleep and had awoken just as dawn was breaking, sheets wrapped around her legs and pillows on the floor.

The bedroom door creaked open, and Emma fought a smile while she closed her eyes and feigned sleep. Soft footsteps carefully made their way to the bed before a small body launched itself up and collided with hers.

“Mama! Time to wakey!” the small bundle yelled, excitement jiggling the mattress. The boy cocked his head to the side at his mother’s lack of response. He sprung up and started jumping on the bed. “Mama! Mama! Up!”

Emma’s whole body danced with the mattress as she bided her time before leaping up and tackling her son. They landed on the other side of the bed; loud giggles echoing in the room before the obnoxious shrill of the alarm announced that it was indeed time to get up.

“Are you ready?” Emma asked the boy.

He nodded, unadulterated joy shining in his eyes.

They rolled out of bed and padded over to the en suite. Side by side they brushed their teeth, smiles never leaving their faces. They spat and rinsed, Emma helping her son reach the running water. All finished, he smiled up at her so that she could check that he’d done a good job, earning a loud smacking kiss on his chubby cheek.

An insistent knock came at the front door and the boy yelled that he would get it before taking off in a sprint. Emma followed him out of the room at a more leisurely pace, already certain of who would be at the door. Her suspicions were confirmed at the loud “Henry!” exclaimed by her mother and best friend as the door swung open to reveal the small boy.

The two women entered the room after hugging the boy, and let out a piercing squeal when they caught sight of the blonde. Emma couldn’t help but join them and pretty soon, all four were in hysterics, including Henry who wasn’t too sure what they were laughing about but was glad to jump on the bandwagon.

Once they had quieted down, Emma sent Henry off to grab his miniature tuxedo from his closet s she led the women into her room.

“I can’t believe my little girl is getting married,” Mary Margaret blubbered as she saw the wedding dress hanging by the window, light hitting it just so.

Emma gave her mother a watery smile and watched as her best friend Ruby handed over a tissue. The first of many to come.

“Well, I have to say it’s about time he put a ring on it. It’s been five years since Henry was born and you were together a year before that. If he didn’t marry you, I would’ve,” Ruby gave her a wolfish grin.

Henry ran into the room, having gone one step further and attempted to put on his suit all by himself. Buttons lopsided and belt open, his level of adorableness skyrocketed and the women all but swooned.

Mary Margaret fussed over the boy as Ruby sat Emma down so she could get started on her makeup. Emma mulled over the idea of getting Henry to change out of the tux until later, knowing that a million and one terrible things could happen to it from now until the wedding, but decided against it once she saw his enormous grin. Her boy was absolutely ecstatic that his mother and father were going to get married. They were going to be a real and true family. Or so her mother kept telling him.

As Ruby worked, Emma thought. She thought about every thing that had led her to this moment. How, despite her meddling parents and his less-than-law abiding father, her and Neal had managed to make this work. When barely a year into their relationship Emma had discovered that she was pregnant, she had, for a split second, thought that her life was all but over. Barely out of her teens and still new to the long-term dating scene, the fleeting thought of running away crossed her mind. But once she had told Neal and his face radiated pure happiness, she let herself share in his joy. And it was the best thing she could’ve done.

“I have a question,” Henry asked, breaking Emma out of her reverie with his high-pitched voice.

“Yes Sweetheart,” Mary Margaret answered, still fixing his jacket, knowing full well she would need to do so again later.

“Why is the alphabet in that order?”

The women were stunned for a moment at such a question escaping the five-year-old’s lips before they broke out in more laughter.

“Nobody knows, nobody cares,” Ruby joked while pulling a face. Henry laughed, placated for the time being.

Half an hour later and he had gotten sufficiently bored, choosing to run off to his room and entertain himself while the women finished up. Every now and then a loud cheer could be heard from a few doors down as a superhero figurine won over a fun-sized villain.

An hour and a half after that, Ruby and Mary Margaret sat at the edge of the bed waiting for Emma to exit the adjoining bathroom. Ruby was dressed in her signature red, which she had somehow convinced Emma to use for the bridesmaids dresses. The dress was sparkly, short and strapless. The three magic S words.

Mary Margaret was worrying the skirt of her modest nude dress. Ruby placed her manicured hand over Mary Margaret’s, stilling the wrinkling of the dress. She was especially glad Mary Margaret had opted for a draped skirt, ensuring that the nervous scrunching would not produce lasting creases.

Their breaths caught in their throats as Emma tentatively walked out. Face glowing, her luscious blonde hair was pulled away from her face in intricate plaits before landing in a large bun near the top of her head. Her body was encased in a simple white wedding dress, pulled in at the waist and showing off her thin frame. The beading on the delicate straps and around her waist made her alabaster skin shine. The grin on her face helped too.

“Wow,” Ruby exhaled, just in time for Mary Margaret to burst into another round of tears. Emma bit her lip to stop her teardrops from falling at the sight of her mother’s cries.

“No!” Ruby exclaimed, exasperated. “There will be no more crying! I don’t have the time to fix your make up again so if you ruin it, tough. You’ll just have to deal with smudged eyes and uneven blush all day. And that goes for both of you.”

She gave them both a pointed look before strutting off to check that Henry was ready to go. They had a wedding to attend to.

\------- 

“I want something that says ‘I’m sorry he’s dead, but not that sorry. He was just a dog and you shouldn’t have loved him more than me.’ Can you make me a bunch that says that?”

Regina stared at her customer in response. Jesus Christ, she thought as she looked at the mousy woman. Clearing her throat gently, she told the woman she knew exactly what she needed before grabbing a pre-prepared bunch of pink and yellow flowers.

The woman looked cautious as Regina rung her up, almost as if she felt like she was being made a fool of. Which, if Regina was being honest, she most definitely was.

“There you go,” Regina said in a sickly sweet tone as she handed over the bouquet. “Be back soon.”

Grabbing the flowers, the woman left the store with a confused look on her face. Regina’s smile immediately dropped as she heard the bells of the closing door, and let out the eye roll she had been trying to contain throughout the whole transaction. People exhausted her.

Leaning up against the counter, she looked at the clock only to find that her assistant was running late. Exceptionally late. She would be sure to rip her a new one when she deigned to show her face.

It wasn’t until Regina was filling the company car with reception flowers that Tink appeared.

“You’re late,” she remarked with a wry smile and matching glare.

“Yes I am. What’s the job?” Tink asked, nodding at the car full of flowers.

“Wedding.”

“Nice people?”

Regina didn’t falter as she continued packing the car, but gave Tink a pointed look as she replied. “Haven’t met them. Only interacted with the mother and she was a bit of an idiot. Demanding, but an idiot.”

“Aren’t they all?” Tink replied with a mocking grin as she helped Regina with the last of the flowers. “You coming out with me tonight?”

“Definitely.”

Tink squinted her eyes in disbelief. “Fantastic, we’ll go together."

“It’ll be easier if I just meet you there.”

“Yeah, you’re not coming are you?”

“Nope,” Regina popped the ‘p’ as she smoothed her black pencil skirt before getting into the car and driving off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I was trying to edit this chapter I realised that some of the characters might come out a little more OOC than I would've liked. But it's an AU so it's cool right? Ehh. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

Emma was on her way to the church, enclosed in the stretch limousine with her mother and Ruby, when Ruby had the brilliant idea to ask Mary Margaret about her own wedding to Emma’s father. Emma slumped against her seat before the question had made its way out of her best friend’s mouth.

“Oh it was magical,” she gushed. “I don’t think I was truly happy until I met David. I remember sitting in the car on my way to the wedding and all I could think about was how _happy_ I was. I just wanted to shout out of the window, let everybody know that I was on my way to wed my one true love. But I couldn’t quite do that, could I? Rub it in peoples’ noses like that,” she giggled. “So I just sat there barely keeping in my seat with excitement, much like you are now Emma. The wheels kept turning, leading me on the longest ride-“

“Stop the car!” Emma exclaimed, her stomach revolting like a case of bad food poisoning. Ruby and Mary Margaret looked at her in surprise, a hint of fright shined in her mother’s eyes. “I need to pee,” she mumbled, apologetic.

The driver double-parked in front of a McDonalds where Emma rushed inside, skirt bunched to her hips. She fought the blush making its way onto her cheeks as the people eating there watched her make her way to the bathroom.

* * *

Having finished putting the finishing touches on the flowers inside the church, Regina strode back outside to see the groom talking to one of the guests, best man at his side. His hair was slightly outgrown and shaggy prompting her to scoff in indignation on the bride’s behalf. The man couldn’t even get a haircut for his own wedding. Squaring her shoulders and pulling on her mask of stoic professionalism, she walked up to the dishevelled men. 

“Good afternoon.”

“Hi!” The groom exclaimed, grin wide on his man-child face.

“Mr. Gold, correct?” Her question produced a face scrunched in confusion. “The groom?” she clarified.

“Oh yeah, yeah! That’s me! Just call me Neal.”

“Right. I’m Regina Mills, I did your flowers,” she held out her hand for him to shake, which he did after staring at it for a few long seconds.

“Oh, right. The flowers!” She raised an eyebrow. Did this man always speak in exclamation points? “They’re great! Aren’t they Hook?”

Neal looked towards his best man whose kohl lined eyes raked over Regina with a slight leer. “Yes, great. Although I wouldn’t know a nice flower from a poke in the eye.”

Neal elbowed him. “Yes, but they’re great, aren’t they Hook?”

Regina looked between the two men with a blank face, unsure of whether she was supposed to be finding this amusing.

“I have your boutonnieres,” she interrupted in perfect French, extendng the delicate light purple flowers in her hands.

“Umm, the what now?” Neal asked.

“Boutonnieres.” Regina didn’t bother trying to hide the roll of her eyes. “They’re the flowers you pin to your suit.”

“Oh right, right! Boutonnieres,” Neal repeated, reaching over to grab one of the flowers from her hand.

“Daddy!"

A blur of movement before a small boy attached himself to Neal’s leg. A beautiful grinning face looked up to his father as Neal bent down to pick his son up.

“Hey buddy. Look at you in your suit!” The boy in his arms grinned wider at the compliment. The father of the bride strolled over not far behind the child.

Through the corner of her eye she could see Hook struggling to pin the flower onto his lapel. She didn’t particularly want to be anywhere near the brute, but watching him manhandle the elegant flower had her teeth gritting. Giving in to the impulse, she took a step closer to him and ripped the flower from his hand before gently pinning it into place. She could feel his ogle heat the top of her head.

“Why yes, I do work out,” he tried to flirt, as she tacked the flower into place. “But I don’t have a six pack.”

Regina looked up at him in derision. “No?”

“Oh no, I have a twelve pack,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

Exasperated, Regina peered up at him through her lashes with a faux-flirtatious smile. “I can’t say that I like men with muscles.”

“Aye, but I just so happen to be very sensitive, too.”

She gave him an unimpressed look, trying to restrain herself from ripping him a new one, when the child spoke up loudly.

“Daddy, I got a question,” he exclaimed, breaking up Neal’s conversation with his future father-in-law.

“Yes, Henry?”

“Why is the sky blue?”

Neal looked at his son, completely stumped. “Uhhhhh, I have no clue, kid.”

“Well okay then!” David announced, grabbing the boy. “Now let’s go find your seat while we wait for your grandmother to get here.”

“Actually,” Regina couldn’t help but interject, stepping in front of the man and child. Henry’s round brown eyes settled on her in excitement. “Did you know that the light that comes from the sun is made out of all the different colours of the rainbow?”

Henry nodded at her, delighted. “Yep! Miss Gale showed us. She put a glass in the light and it was blue and purple and red and yellow and green and ALL the colours.”

“Right,” Regina smiled back at the boy. “Because of the air we breathe, the only colour you can see in the sky is blue.”

Henry scrunched his face as he tried to process Regina’s words and she felt an acute worry that she’d just made things worse. Watching his face, she hoped her explanation wasn’t too difficult for him to grasp. She didn’t have a vast experience with children, especially not children this age, and she had no idea what could possibly have convinced her to answer the boy’s question. But then she witnessed his face clear and he beamed up at her.

“I get it!” he enthusiastically burst out.

Regina smiled back.

“Gampa, can she sit with me? Pleeeeeeeease?”

“Henr-“

“No! Pleaseeee. I want…” he trailed off before turning back to her. “I’m Henry. What’s your name?”

“I’m Regina.”

Satisfied, Henry turned back to his grandfather. “I want to sit with ‘Gina, please.”

David looked at the woman standing in front of him before glancing back down to his grandson, finding his eyes wide and bottom lip trembling in true puppy dog fashion. He knew it would be easier to wait for Emma outside, so he could be ready to walk her down the aisle as soon as she arrived, but he didn’t relish the thought of letting the boy sit inside the church without supervision. Although he was well behaved, Henry had a tendency to wander, and if he disappeared today of all days, it would be his head.

“Oh all right,” he acquieced.

“Yes!” The boy wriggled out of his grandfather’s grasp until he placed him on the ground. Then he grabbed a hold of a stunned Regina’s hand and led her off to the church.

“What just happened?” she whispered to herself as she let Henry guide her into the church and settled down next to him in the first pew.

As soon as he was seated, Henry faced Regina and cocked his head to the side. “When do fish sleep?”

* * *

The time drew near and Neal stood at the front of the church, fighting the urge to look behind him to see if Emma had arrived yet. His fingers tapped a staccato beat against his leg and he groaned. Giving in to the urge and turning around, he watched as several guests were still filing in to the church. He returned to his initial position. 

“She is coming right?” he questioned, worry leaking from his pores.

Hook sighed already having answered this question a number of times. “Yes mate, she’s coming.”

“Okay.” Neal took a deep breath and held it as stared at the stained glass window straight ahead of him. He let the air out. “When? When is she coming?”

“Here,” Hook slipped a small flask out of the inside pocket of his jacket and handed over to his best friend.

Neal took a swig. Then another. A third one before he returned it to Hook who took a sip of his own.

“Better, mate?”

“Yep. All good.”

They stood in silence with Neal still looking back periodically.

“I quite like that flower lass. Little Miss Boutonniere. I think she likes me. She definitely likes me.”

“Hook,” Neal chuckled. “It’s my wedding day. Can we cut the flirting short and talk about me?”

Hook handed him the flask again. Neal closed his eyes before taking another sip. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to hell for drinking in church.”

“Aye, but we’re already going to hell anyway.”

Neal snickered, relaxing a little as he returned the liquor back to Hook.

“Is she here yet?”

* * *

The limousine pulled up to the church fifteen minutes after the ceremony was timed to start and Mary Margaret wasted no time in exiting the car. Ruby quickly moved spots to sit beside Emma. 

“This is it,” Emma whispered with a shaky smile at her friend.

“Wish me luck,” Ruby replied with a wink.

Emma cackled. “Wish you luck?”

“It’s a wedding, Emma. And I’m a bridesmaid. You know what that means right?”

“I can’t say that I do,” Emma took the bait, narrowing her eyes.

“Bridesmaids _always_ get lucky at weddings,” was Ruby’s saucy reply before she too got out of the car.

Emma snorted. Stealing a moment to herself, Emma took a deep breath trying to quell the nervous butterflies fighting inside her. Her irritation with her nerves grew. She loved Neal and knew, with every fiber of her being, that he was completely in love with her in return. 

But still she could not shake the small, quiet, incessant voice in the back of her head, telling her to run, and run fast. She pushed it back, certain that it was the tiresome nerves speaking. She heard her name being yelled from the door of the church and Emma looked up to see her father, handsome in his grey suit, waving her over. Smiling back at him, she squared her shoulders and made her way over. 

* * *

Regina exited the pew as Mary Margaret settled herself next to Henry. Politely crouching past other guests while attempting not the step on their toes, she made it to the end of the pew as the bridal waltz began to play.

Walking down the outer aisle, she tried to keep her head down but could not control her glances towards the center. She would never admit it, even under threat to her life, but weddings made her heart beat that tiny bit faster. There was something about the look in the bride and groom’s eyes.

It was in one of those brief looks to the middle that Regina caught sight of the bride. Their eyes locked for an infinite moment and she forgot how to breathe. The bride was ethereal. Smoking green eyes with dusted pink cheeks. She glowed.

Emma stared back at the woman while she walked. She broke eye contact for an instant, glancing up at her soon-to-be husband, before her eyes moved of their own accord to take another quick glimpse to the side, but the entrancing woman with the smouldering eyes and red lips had disappeared. Blinking fast, she turned back to face the front and an involuntary smile spread her lips when she caught sight of the look on Neal’s face.

She was getting married.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the wedding.

The reception was in full swing the next time Regina caught sight of the bride. Henry was grooving away with his father, and the mother and father of the bride were doing…something. They were laughing with each other but Regina could feel the second hand embarrassment creeping up her spine.

In search of the punch, Regina watched the blonde as she quickly swirled the liquid like she was beating an egg. She stared as the woman took a sneaky look to see if anyone was watching as her hand crept towards the drink. It wasn't until the tips of her fingers were submerging in the punch that Regina made her presence known.

"Hello," Regina said, leaning slightly into the bride's personal space.

Emma jumped and turned, eyes wide in mortification at being caught.

"Hi."

"We haven't met yet. My name is Regina."

"Emma," her face softened into a small smile.

"I'm your florist."

"Oh! The flowers are beautiful. Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Regina smiled back before indicating at the punch behind Emma. "I just wanted to get a drink, if you don't mind."

Regina went to step closer to the bowl but was blocked by a swift sidestep. The blonde gave an awkward laugh and wrung her hands.

"I uh, I wouldn't."

"Do you have some sort of strange punch fetish?" A brazen eyebrow rose.

Emma's eyes went round in shock. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, the words failing to coming out. Regina gave a laugh at her expense.

"I saw you playing with it earlier," she mock whispered. Emma gave a short and stark laugh, but still did not move from her spot. "Is something wrong? I can help."

Emma gave Regina a good hard look, before deciding she was a worthy accomplice.

"My ring," Emma confided as she turned back to face the bowl, finally granting Regina access to the drink in the process. "I was getting some of this fruity crap and, well..."

Regina caught on to what was left unsaid. "Your wedding ring?"

"It fell off," Emma snickered, highly amused. "So now my wedding ring is somewhere in there, playing hooky with the lemon slices and tiny blueberries."

"Have you tried the ladle?"

"Well yeah," they shared a chuckle.

"Okay," Regina wracked at her brain. "We could empty – no wait that won't work..."

Emma laughed, "I was going to just stick my hand in there when you caught me."

"You can't do that!" Regina exclaimed, indignant. "You're wearing white, your wedding dress no less. That's asking for trouble."

"Well then, what do you suggest?" Emma's eyes glimmered as she watched the brunette's face.

Regina pursed her lips and studied the bowl of punch. Seemingly coming to a decision, she gave a decisive nod before shrugging out of the blazer and handed it off to Emma.

"There's only one thing left for me to do then," she quickly rolled up her right sleeve. "Cover me."

"What?" Emma laughed.

"Use the dress. I'm going in."

Regina grabbed Emma around the waist and pulled her so they were standing back to back, effectively hiding her from view. She plunged her arm into the iced drink as the blonde dissolved into uncontrollable laughter.

It wasn't long before, from the corner of her eye, Emma spied a tall and handsome man approach the table. Trying to squash her laughter and appear nonchalant, Emma repositioned herself further to the right, keeping the man from seeing Regina with her hand swishing around the beverage.

"Hi!" Emma exclaimed, a little too bright.

The man gave her a lecherous grin. "They say white is the colour of virgins. If I know Neal, I'd say the only thing virgin around here is the olive oil."

"Whatever gave you that idea? You know, apart the son that we just so happen to have together...of course."

The man tilted his head in amusement.

"I'm August," he held his hand out to her. "Neal works underneath me, but not in the biblical sense."

"You're just like he described," she quipped as they shook hands. Emma heard Regina give a quiet " _yes"_ of victory behind her just as August reached over her to grab the ladle.

"Now, I need some booze. I've just met this hot as hell little number and I thought I'd grease the wheels, so to speak."

Emma placed her hands behind her back and took a large step back from August, forcing herself closer to Regina who quickly pulled the ring back on Emma's finger and peeped out from behind her.

"Hello," she pronounced, voice rather flustered.

August froze at her appeared. "Hi."

"This is Regina," Emma introduced, face red from her attempts to bite back laughter. "She's our florist."

"Name's August. But you can call me anything you'd like."

"Oh I'm sure I will."

Regina placed her still wet and sticky hand into his outstretched one and they shook. His face contorted into a confused frown while Regina pleasantly smirked back up at him.

* * *

Later that night, the majority of the guests were packed onto the dance floor. The inebriated guests made themselves known as they tried to dance along with the bridge and groom.

"Mac," Hook called, fighting against the funky tune so to grab the attention of the DJ. "Do me a favour and give me something a little more soft and smooth, yeah?"

Mac nodded in affirmation and Hook pointed at him as she smoothly gyrated away. He continued grooving along to the song as he made his way across the dance floor to Regina who was Henry. Together they jumped in time with the baseline.

"Hey Henry! Hen! Hen!" Hook tried to grab the small boy's attention. "Why don't you go and dance with your mates. They all miss you."

"'Kay!" Henry yelled before running off, abandoning Regina who subtly looked for a way out of the impending conversation.

Hook turned back around to face the brunette just as the music changed to his requested dulcet melody.

"Oh," he gave a soft fake-embarrassed chuckle. "Shall we dance, milady?"

Regina blinked and shot a furtive glance at the bride and groom watching on from the sidelines. Taking a steadying breath, she acquiesced. She was sure she heard smothered giggles from the newly married couple as Hook wrapped his arms around her and they swayed in slow circles.

"We fit nice together, don't you believe?" He sighed, happily.

Regina narrowed her eyes in disbelief before giving a curt reply.

"Yes." Her tone flew over his head as he pulled her in closer. She stiffened.

"You okay?" He questioned, not as blind as she had thought.

"Bit tight there, Hook." He kept his strong hold on her, continuing on as if she hadn't spoken.

"I lost my virginity to this song," he mused.

Regina's eyes shot daggers at the cackling bride. 'Save me,' she mouthed. Emma just laughed even harder, burying her face in Neal's shoulder. Regina's mouth dropped at the betrayal.

Thankfully, at that moment, a sharp burst of feedback rung from the microphone near the wedding party's table. Behind the table and holding the microphone stood Emma's father, David, with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Hello everybody," he uttered into the mic. "Is this...is this thing...is this thing on?"

Mary Margaret rushed to Hook's side.

"Hook! There you are. Will you please get my intoxicated husband off the microphone and make a proper speech," she muttered as she walked past, straight to David. She smiled up at him before taking the microphone from him and placing it on the table. Than she grabbed him by his hand and lovingly pulled him away.

Hook gave Regina a handsome grin before sauntering over to take David's vacated spot. Picking up the microphone, he shot the crowd a sly grin before launching into his best man's speech, which was filled with as many innuendos and rude anecdotes as Regina had expected.

"Here we have before us two fools in love...which is dreadfully boring if you ask me. They've been in love for years. Years! Years that have seen untold amounts of narcotics and rum consumed, and meaningless relations thoroughly enjoyed...by me!" Hook winked and the crowd laughed at his crude joke, eating it all up.

"These two just stayed at home, as boring, in-love couples do. They've acted like a married couple for almost as long as I've known them, and have a beautiful little boy to show for it. But if I'm being honest, and if anyone repeats any of this I'll deny it to my dying breath, but it's a relief that they're finally married. So, before I do my duty as best man and take a bridesmaid home...and you know who you are...I would like to raise a toast. To Emma and Neal. May they grow old together, sharing the same pillow. Emma and Neal!"

"Emma and Neal!" The crowd cheered, returning his toast.

Once the guests had quieted back down, Hook continued. "Now, this is a very big deal. Many say that the reason it took him so long to pop the question was his fear of making this exact speech. But guess what, Neal m'boy? You're making it now. He's not sure he can do it, but I _know_ he can do it. Ladies and gentlemen, Neal!"

The guests erupted into a booming cheer as Neal stood on jelly legs and accepted the mic.

Neal took a moment, clearing his throat and taking a good, long look at all the people watching him. A small pearl of sweat carved a path down the back of his neck.

"Neal!" Mary Margaret whisper-yelled from her spot on the table. He turned to look at her, eyes wide. "I know something that helps. Just imagine everybody naked." She smiled and gave him two thumbs up in encouragement. He returned her smile with a small grimace.

Taking pity on her poor husband, Emma stood abruptly and took the microphone from his wet hand.

"Hey everyone, I'm Neal and welcome to my wedding," Emma smiled wide at the loud laughter. "I'm glad you're all here looking at me because umm...because I just want to tell you all how much I love Emma. What an amazing, wonderful, and sexy person she is."

She looked up at Neal, pleased at the happy beam on his face. "Wanna keep going?"

"Oh no, you're doing perfect," he sat down with a smirk and signaled that she continue.

Narrowing her eyes at him in mock anger, Emma turned back to face their family and friends. "Uhh, okay. So it's Emma now. I can't say that I've been looking forward to this my whole life. I was never one of those girls who pictured their perfect wedding with their perfect man. Perfect this and perfect that. But, I'm glad that I've gotten to share today with so many people that I love...and a few people I've never met before."

More laughter ran through the seats. Among them stood Regina, smiling fondly up at the blonde. Sending her a silent bid of luck, she walked away. It was time to head home and to bed.

"I'm sure you're all great, though," Emma laughed with them. "I feel like I've known Neal my entire life. And I know that I'll know him for the rest of it. He's the father of my child...and he's my best friend. They say fairytales have happy endings, even though the journey can be hard. But Neal and I were friends, then partners. And other than one tiny bump, cough Henry cough," the laughter grew. "It's been smooth all the way. Maybe that's the better kind of fairytale."

"Hear, hear!" They murmured.

"Hear, hear. Sort of, I guess." She shook her head to clear it. "A toast-shmoast won't do all that but...if you could all just wish us luck, Neal and I would really appreciate it. Okay, ready? One. Two. Three."

"Good luck!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know there's been a fair bit of Swan Thief but now that we're done with the wedding that should settle down and the Swan Queen will pick up! Let me know what you think! :)


End file.
